Automatic multi-head embroidering machine



July 21, 1970 L.. TRAGESER 3,521,584

AUTCMATIC MULTI-'HEAD EMBRIDERING MACHINE man sept. 4, 196e //V Vf/v 70A@ ww/6 TVRAfsER BY M11/Jn.

A rok/VHS United States Patent O AUTOMATIC MULTI-HEAD EMBROIDERING MACHINE Ludwig Trageser, 32 Von Bargen Strasse, Hamburg 70, Germany Filed Sept. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 757,345

Claims priority, application Germany, Sept. 15, 1967,

1,685,140 Int. Cl. Dc 3/02 U.S. Cl. 112-102 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention provides an automatic multi-head ernbroidering machine whtch comprises a punched control mechanism, transmission means and connecting elements for controlling the movements of the embroidery frames, wherein needle heads are disposed on a carrier between embroidering heads and each individual embroidering head and needle head is disconnectable by Ia clutch from a common drive shaft and the loopers of the needle heads derive their drive from a neighboring embroidering head through a transmission below the table of the machine.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to an automatic multi-head em- Ibroidering machine intended for general use for the mass production of embroidery work ranging from the smallest pattern to extended embroidered borders up to several meters in length.

Conventional embroidering machines includes automatic multiple head machines and table top machines having needle heads attached to a beam extending freely across and above the working table. Both types of machines are controlled by punched cards which control the movement of the embroidery frames with the aid of a Jacquard mechanism, transmission means and frame holders.

Multiple head automatic embroidering machines substantially comprise several embroidering heads resembling sewing machine heads, each constituting a complete selfcontained unit, associated with a common drive for the needle bar and the looper system. The embroidering heads are disposed equidistantly or in groups above a machine table; they have common guide means for the embroidery frames driven by a common drive shaft. Owing to the mechanical transmission of the required movements from the Jacquard mechanism to the embroidery frames and the stability required of the transmitting elements in conjunction with minimum weight (to reduce the moving inertial mass) a transverse stay (stiiening stay) is usually provided between each two embroidering heads for transmitting the motion from the punched card control system to the embroidery frames. If the working heads are closely spaced the provision of such a stay following each second or third head may be sufficient.

The embroidering head and the presence of the stay limit the useful length of the field available for embroidering in the longitudinal direction of automatic multiple head machines. The maximum length available for embroidering equals the distance between neighboring heads (needle spacing) less the width of the embroidering head and less the width of the stay. Automatic multi-head embroidering machines cannot therefore be used for embroidering borders which are several meters in length, unless the foundation material that is to be embroidered is repeatedly clamped up afresh or the embroidery frame containing the material is shifted.

It has already been proposed to remove the obstructing stays between the embroidering heads. However, the guid- ICC ancel aiorded to the frames is not then reliable and the embroidery work is liable to be inaccurate and rough and suitable only for very special purposes. The stays could be omitted if the main connecting elements were particularly rugged and hence heavy, in which case the weight of the moving members would be excessive.

Table top embroidering machines-also known as automatic portal machines-are fundamentally similar to automatic multiple head machines. The principal difference is that the needle heads are mounted fully independently of the associated looper system above the table top on a portal-shaped support and that the movements of the embroidery frame is not therefore obstructed in the region of the table top. However, the necessity of providing multineedle table top embroidering machines with the abovementioned stable and expensive portal type structure which cannot be changed once the dimensions have been iixed is a drawback. Automatic portal type embroidering machines are therefore rarely used for automatic embroidery work and only in very specialized fields of production.

In order that the invention may be well understood, the distinction between an embroidery head and a needle head is hereby given. An embroidery head is defined as the embroidering head mem-ber which serves as a drive unit for the needle above the table and for the lopper 4below the table. Embroidering heads are shown in the disclosure of British Pat. 801,907. A needle head means that the needle Imember and the looper are each driven by a separate shaft. An example of this structure is in the disclosure of U.S. Pat. 2,889,792 wherein the needles are driven by shaft 50 and the loopers are driven 'by shaft 51.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the object of the present invention to eliminate all the shortcomings of the above-described conventional automatic machines and by making simple changes or readjustments to provide an automatic multi-head embroidering machine which can be employed for nearly every conceivable kind of automatic embroidery work.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an automatic multi-head embroidering machine having an arrangement wherein the embroidering heads and needle heads are alternated on the carrier support. Embroidering machines exclusively provided with embroidering heads as well as embroidering machines exclusively provided with needle heads are well known, as noted by the above cited prior art.

To attain these objects the present invention provides an automatic multi-head embroidering machine comprising a punched card control mechanism, transmission means and connecting elements for controlling the movements of the embroidery frames, wherein needle heads are disposed on a carrier betwen embroidering heads and each individual embroidering head and needle head is disconnectable by a clutch from a common drive shaft and the loopers of the needle heads derive their drive from a neighboring embroidering head through a transmission below the table of the machine.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING Several embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of an automatic multi-head embroidering machine `comprising six emboidering heads and five needle heads;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view showing the transmission (frame control mechanism) from the Jacquard mechanism to the embroidery frames;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of embroidery frames for individual patterns;

FIG. 4 is a similar view of embroidery frames for larger patterns;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 1, and

FIGS. 6 to 9 illustrate possible combinations of embroidery frames and working fields for embroidering repeats and borders.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIGS. 1 and 2 show conventional embroidering heads 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 which resemble sewing machines and are firmly mounted at equidistant intervals on a machine table 12, all the embroidering heads being driven by a common drive shaft 13. Between each two adjacent embroidering heads 1 and 3, 3 and 5, 5 and 7, 7 and 9, 9 and 11 one needle head 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 is mounted on a carrier 15. The drive is provided Vby a moto-r 16 which also drives a Jacquard machine 17 arranged adjacent the irst embroidering head 1. The loopers 18 of the embroidering heads 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 derive their motion from the shaft 13 as in ordinary sewing machines. However, the separately mounted loopers 19 of the neeedle heads 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 are driven below the machine table 12 by a neighboring embroidering head and transmission means 14,

The Jacquard machine 17 which is controlled by a punched card transmits the controlling impulses through a linkage 20, a rear profile rail 21, connecting arm 22 and a front profile rail 23 to the embroidering frames 24 or 24a shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The embroidering frames for single patterns are mounted individually or in groups on guide rails 25 which are clipped to the front profile rail 23. Border embroidering frames 26 (FIGS. 6 to 9) of different lengths can be easily attached to the same rail and located by catches.

Each selected needle embroiders the same pattern according to the holes in the punched card (Jacquard card). An eleven-head automatic machine will therefore produce eleven identical patterns when one card is Worked through. If a more elaborated embroidery is to be produced on the same automatic machine each of the needle heads 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 may be independently inactivated by individual clutches 27 (FIG. l), whereby the needle bars are retained in their raised positions and the larger frames inserted. Each of the embroidering heads 3, 5, 7, 9 and 11 can likewise be independently inactivated as desired by individual clutches For embroidering borders (repeat embroidery) the foundation material is placed in border embroidery frames 26 of appropriate length and the same repeat pattern is simultaneously produced by several needles (FIGS. 6 to 9). When all the needles are being used the individual sections adjoin or overlap. Assuming that the needle spacing is a the spacing of neighboring embroidering heads is 2a (FIG. 5). The maximum length of an embroidering section which in this case is limited by the arm 22 is 2a less the width b of the embroidering heads less the diameter c of the arm, less the safety strip d. This provides a utilizable overlapping area between each embroidering section and the neighboring section. The length of the embroidering section a in this example simultaneously determines the length of the principal repeat which naturally permits further subdivision.

The length available for embroidering, that is, the basic measurement involved with respect to the embodiment herein, is determined by the intervals between the needle heads and the embroidering heads. If, for example, in this embodiment, the spacing of two adjacent needles amounts to 22 centimeters, there is a basic measurement of 242 centimeters, that is, 10 intervals of 22 centimeters each between 11 heads plus half an interval of l1 centimeters at both ends of the embroidering section forming the overlapping area between each embroidering section and the neighboring section, which amounts to a total length available for embroidering of 242 centimeters. Thus, the longest border that can be produced in one operation in the above described example comprises 1l needles times the length of one em-broidering section is 242 cms. Since the embroidering and needle heads can be inactivated, the described automatic embroidering machine permits any length of border divisible by the needle spacing to be produced in a correspondingly large frame.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. An automatic multi-head machine comprising a machine supporting table,

a carrier means,

a plurality of first needle support means including embroidering heads and arranged in a row spaced at a predetermined distance from each other;

a plurality of second needle support means including needle heads positioned between each of said embroidering heads;

said first and second needle support means being disposed on said carrier means;

a common drive shaft for said embroidering heads extending in a direction of said roW and being connected to said embroidering heads;

drive means connected to one end of said drive shaft;

common frame means for said embroidering and needle heads adapted to carry material to be embroidered and being arranged in the region of said heads;

program control means operatively connected with said frame means for elective movement of said frame means in programmed sequence;

a clutch means disposed between each of said embroidering and needle heads, with the exception of said first embroidering head, and said drive means whereby each of said heads may be selectively and individually operatively connected or disconnected;

transmission means operatively connected to each needle head of said second needle support means, and mounted below said table;

loopers associated with each embroidering head of said irst needle support means and being driven by said drive shaft; and loopers associated with each needle head of said second needle support means and being driven by a neighboring embroidering head and said transmission means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 9/ 1958 Great Britain. 3/ 1968 Great Britain.

ALFRED R. GUEST, Primary Examiner 

